


Mein Sonnenschein

by pinkpompom



Category: Pacific Rim (2013)
Genre: Birthday Presents, Boyfriends, Domestic Fluff, Fluff, M/M, Now kiss, Post-Movie, cute kissing, handjobs in the shower OHOHOHO
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-09-10
Updated: 2013-09-15
Packaged: 2017-12-26 04:43:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,517
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/961692
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pinkpompom/pseuds/pinkpompom
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hermann and Newt take up new jobs, Hermann in London and Newt back at MIT, a little while after the closing of the breach, but keep in contact via technology. Eventually, Newt gets bored of Massachusetts and comes to London to be with his brain-soul-drift-mate.</p><p>Hopelessly adorable shit ensues.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Some shitty fucking cute stupid fluff sort of picking up from after the movie. Hermann and Newt in London together in the summer, kissing and sweet shit.

It had been about three months since Hermann Gottlieb had begun work at a new research facility in London, and a year since the breach was successfully closed. He had taken a position as head of the theoretical division of the environmental research team that focused on studying the effects of kaiju-blue, their part in the depletion of forest and marine life, and what ways they could restore earth back to as liveable of a state as possible. While he found some of it quite boring, he felt it was imperative that he remained a part of the scientific community that fought against the kaiju, both during and after, not to mention he was looking forward to being back in England.

Newton, however, had not been able to join him, as he was offered a short-term position back at MIT, giving lectures about drift technology and kaiju biology to (impressively massive) gatherings of professors and students alike.

It was all rather strange and different, and after drifting together, Hermann and Newton had never quite liked there being much distance between them, and especially not for extended periods of time.

It was difficult, to say the least, but they both managed by aid of technology.

* * *

Hermann was currently alone in a small apartment in the living portion of the research facility, which was made-up of an impressively large complex of buildings and gardens. It was a spacious apartment with tall ceilings, white walls and modern furniture. It came with a balcony, which Hermann often utilized for reading and tea drinking in the mornings. The view was lovely, as it overlooked a large garden in the centre of the facility.

It was all rather pleasant, and as much as he was content in his new job and living arrangements, it all felt rather hollow without his partner. He really did miss him so.

The familiar beeping alert of a phone call broke the quiet warm breeze on the balcony, startling Hermann from his book. He picked up the phone to see:

_[Incoming call: Front Desk]  
Answer / Deny_

He touched ‘answer’, wondering who could be needing to contact him from the main lobby, let alone at this time in the morning. 

“Good morning Dr. Gottlieb! I hope I didn’t wake you up!” came a vaguely familiar, young sounding voice. One of the new assistants Hermann had met when he joined the research team. His name was David. Or Dennis. Or was it Daniel?

“Hello, no I was not sleeping, thank you.”

“Oh, okay good, ‘cause you got a guest; your boyfriend is here!”

“My _what?!_ ” Hermann blurted out.

“Oh! I’m sorry! Is that wrong? He said to call him that, to tell you that your boyfr— Hang on I’ll get his name…”  
There was some shuffling sounds and muffled talking, but Hermann heard the sound of a very familiar, overly enthusiastic voice.

“Newt, uh, Newt Geiszler. That’s what he said. Do you want me to let him in? ‘Cause I can say no if you want—”

“No, no that’s not a problem. Dr. Geiszler is a very good… friend of mine. I’ll come meet him myself.”

“Alright, I’ll tell him to wait here then?”

“Yes, that’s perfectly fine. Thank you."

Hermann stood up to grab his cane and headed to his bedroom to finish getting dressed. He chose a navy blue blazer to wear with his khaki trousers, and had opted to skip the usual sweater vest as it was early June and the weather had started warming up drastically. In fact, he had decided to only wear a white t-shirt under his blazer, one that Newt had bought or him a long time ago and usually sat unworn in his drawer, or used as only an undershirt. 

Hermann glanced in the mirror before leaving, wondering what Newt would have to say about his uncommon choice of dress today. Really, it was mostly for him, something different for when they would first meet again. It had been such a long time since they’d last seen each other, though other methods of contact were most definitely kept. Newt had a sort of fondness for the old text-based messaging systems that he grew up using, and insisted that he and Hermann use them to discuss the things in their lives that they couldn’t share for the time they were apart. 

He headed to the elevator, head full of things to say, ask, discuss with Newton, so much that he hardly noticed when one of his colleagues attempted to greet him on the elevator. 

“Hello Dr. Gottlieb! Going out for a walk on this lovely Saturday morning?” chirped the bright and smiling young woman. Her auburn hair was cut short to her chin, bouncing as she spoke. 

Hermann looked down at his cane, contemplating how well he would be able to handle a long walk outside. “Hello Dr. Maudy. And no, meeting a friend today. Lobby, please.”

“Oh, yeah of course.” she pressed the button marked *L*, the large steel doors closing in front of them. “A friend, huh? Someone I might know?”

“Perhaps, although he does not work in this facility, he is quite well known for his research and previous accomplishments.”

“Accomplishments, huh? Seems like you have some friends in high places.”

“Yes, I suppose so.”

The doors opened to reveal the marble flooring and dark wooden walls of the main lobby, large windows open and pouring sunlight against the floor, bouncing onto the walls and illuminating the entire room.

Hermann stepped out, his cane clicking loudly against the hard floor. Dr. Maudy followed behind him, her face looking inquisitive.

“Do you have somewhere to be, Ms. Maudy?” Hermann did his best to appear polite. 

“Nope, just wanted to see this friend of yours, he sounds interesting!” she smiled back at him.

Hermann only frowned slightly, turning back to walk to the seating area of the lobby. 

Just as he started walking, though, he saw a head full of wild, stuck-up hair shoot up from behind the back of a large armchair. 

“Hermann! I’d know that damn noisy cane anywhere!” Newt flew out of the chair, arms held out wide expecting a hug. He wore a sharply pressed navy blue button-down shirt with the sleeves cuffed up and brand new-looking crisp, dark jeans.

Hermann smiled warmly, starting to walk over to greet Newton properly before recalling that Dr. Maudy was still standing behind him. 

“Who’s this? A new friend you’ve made? Aww, Hermann’s making friends!” Newton laughed affectionately and practically bounced his way to meet Hermann across the room. 

“This is Dr. Maudy, secondary head scientist on the environmental research division. Dr. Maudy, this is Dr. Newton Geiszler, top xenobiologist and my old colleague from the PPDC.” Hermann smiled, if only pleased to see Newt. He didn’t exactly appreciate the invasion in his personal life from one of his workmates.

“Pleased to meet you Dr. Maury! I hope you’ve learned to deal with Hermann’s normal grumpy moods and grandpa clothes.” Newton chuckled as he shook Dr. Maury’s hand. 

“Oh you…” Dr. Maury looked bewildered, glancing back and forth from Newton’s tattoos, to his face, to Hermann’s. “You have the same red eye as Dr. Gottlieb… Were you the one who--”

“Yeah man! Hermann was cool enough to be my drift partner! Was a totally crazy experience, but definitely worth it. The eye is sort of a sweet reminder too, I think.” Newton just smiled, his arm wrapping fondly around Hermann’s stiff shoulders. 

“A rather bizarre and undesired scar, more like…” Hermann grumbled from Newt’s tight squeeze.

“That’s… fascinating. Dr. Geiszler, how on earth did you ever come up with the idea to drift with the kaiju? Or even know it was safe? How did you calibrate the PONS to even do that? I have so many questions for you…” Dr. Maudy looked positively star struck.

“Ahh, well you’ll have to attend one of my lectures then, huh? I’m giving one here in a few days, if you want to come!” Newton winked before releasing Hermann. 

“Er, yes, apologies Dr. Maudy but Dr. Geiszler and I have some business to attend to. Have a pleasant morning.” Hermann’s polite façade had worn down slightly, but he always managed to speak eloquently, even when annoyed (Newt was well versed in such behaviour). 

Dr. Maudy nodded quickly, already turning on her heel to leave. “Oh, yes, well I’ll definitely be attending, Dr. Geiszler! Thank you for the invitation. Have a nice day, you two.” 

“Finally…” Hermann grumbled as he turned to face his partner. “Newton… how have you been? I wasn’t expecting you for another few days. How was the flight?”

Newt shrugged, his face lighting up the more Hermann spoke. “Y’know, same old. Get more used to flying every time, I guess. I decided to leave early and surprise you! I just wanted to spend time with you.”

Hermann hummed between tight lips. “Yes, I’ve… missed you quite a bit. I was looking forward to-- ”

“Fucking my brains out?” Newton pulled him into a hug, his chest vibrating with laughter. “Only joking! Although seriously, we’re gonna do that too.”

“I… well considering you had the desk clerk introduce you as my ‘boyfriend’, which was highly unprofessional, I’m not so sure.”

“Are you punishing me for that? C’mon it was a joke, it was funny! Should’ve seen the look on Danny’s face, it was priceless. Did you tell him off for that? He turned so white!”

“While I’m sure harassing the facility’s staff is… amusing, I don’t think it’s quite fair, especially to the younger staff.” Hermann glanced across the room at the young blonde boy sitting at the desk.

“How old is that kid anyway? He looks like he’s barely 20, how’d he manage a job at a place like this?” Newton motioned upwards to the extremely tall ceilings. 

“I haven’t the slightest idea, and it doesn’t matter. I’m more interested in you, right now. Why don’t we go for a walk to get something to drink? There’s a café, and there are lovely gardens here.”

“Aw man, I would totally kill for a coffee. Sounds great! But I still have all my bags and junk. Also, what the hell are you wearing? You look amazing, but since when do you ever wear just a t-shirt?” Newton brushed a hand down the front of Hermann’s shirt, lingering against his stomach. “I bought this one for you, didn’t I?”

“You, uh, yes, you did.” Hermann stuttered as Newt’s hand circled around his abdomen. “P-perhaps we should--”

“Yup, no sense in wasting time. What should I do with these?” Newt motioned back towards the large black suitcase covered in stickers sitting by the chairs.

“I’ll have someone bring them up to my apartment.” Hermann walked to the front desk and spoke with Danny, who appeared slightly nervous yet obedient, nodding incessantly the entire time they spoke.

“Dude, what’d you say to the kid? He looks so damn scared of you.” Newt raised an eyebrow from behind his glasses.

“Nothing out of the ordinary? It appears I frighten many people in this facility, though I’m not entirely certain as to why.” Hermann frowned at his feet.

“Maybe ‘cause you look like a scarecrow and bark at people all the time?”

Hermann glared.

“Dude, I’m joking, clearly they just don’t have the brains to handle your totally obvious genius. I mean, I somehow managed to not be scared of you.” 

“Yes, I suppose.” Hermann said, smiling again as they walked out the front doors.

* * *  
It wasn’t long until both scientists were in full swing of their usual bickering and banter. Newt was rambling about his new living situation, his lectures, and especially the boredom he’d been facing since Hermann left. He swung his hands around animatedly, seeming to forget the large cup of coffee he was still holding. Hermann listened patiently, sometimes interjecting to argue about this and that, but overall just pleased to be with Newt.

They walked through a large courtyard, the sky bright, clear and blue, the sun warming their skin and reflecting off of Newton’s glasses. His eyes sparkled with enthusiasm, and his tattoos seemed to glow in the heat. Hermann admired the mix of willow and birch trees lining the edges of the gardens, which were planted with fresh tulips and daisies. 

“So all I was asking for was a little more time to see what I could get out of those samples, but nooo, all the kaiju stuff has to disappear like it never happened! Some people may still be grieving, but others are still fascinated by them! What the hell?”

“Indeed.” Hermann responded, though he really was more focused on the way the light was hitting Newt’s face. He was such a bright and shining constant in his life, colourful and unique in every way.

“Hey, what’s the funny look for?” Newton stopped in his tracks, causing Hermann to bump into him. “You’re doing the ‘not listening’ face, am I really boring you that much?”

“No, quite the contrary, herzchen.” Hermann leaned in to kiss Newt’s cheek, enjoying the rough texture of his stubble against his lips. “I’ve missed you terribly is all.”

“Mhm, you know I’ve missed you too.” Newton kissed him back, instead planting a small peck on his lips. “Been lonely in Massachusetts without you to constantly criticize something I’m doing.” He smirked, one of his most exasperatingly endearing expressions.

“I should hope that would not be all that you miss from me, Newton.” Hermann began walking again, swinging his cane above the tarmac. 

“No!” Newt caught up, grasping for Hermann’s hand. “No of course not, I missed this, just getting to touch you. I missed your awesome home cooked meals, and I missed you making our bed in the morning…”

Hermann’s dark eyes brightened, though not looking up from the pavement.

“I missed getting to roll over and say good morning to you, and I even sorta missed doing your laundry with mine.” Newt’s eyes fought to make Hermann look up at his. “Pssh, and I missed the sex. Like, a lot. In fact I still do.”

With that, Hermann’s eyes shot up to meet Newt’s, which of course were glistening with laughter. “I’m so glad you’re the same, that nothing’s changed. Well, not that anything really should but… yeah. It’s nice to have everything feel the same for a little bit.”

“I’m quite pleased that things aren’t the same as they were, I find this much more agreeable than the looming threat of the kaiju.” Hermann rolled his Rs, raising one eyebrow in the most teasing way.

“Yeah, I guess. It was nice getting to live in the same building though, y’know…” 

“Perhaps we will again, soon.” Hermann’s eyes drifted back up towards the trees, acting as though his words had no meaning to them.

“Yeah? What’dya mean by that?” Newt was bubbling with excitement. 

“I mean, perhaps once your work at MIT is complete, you’d like to move to London with me?” 

“Uh, yeah, dude, that pretty much sounds perfect. Except I’m already kinda done my work there, I just sort of… left.” Newt laughed. “I got bored, already spent a whole ton of time there before K-day shit, don’t need more of it. I was looking at living here actually, anyway. Though I wasn’t sure to ask you to move in with me.” His face looked shy, but his tight grip on Hermann’s hand said otherwise.

Hermann felt his face warm up, imagining the idea of Newt and him living together, domestic and pleasant. He contemplated Newton’s disorganized tendencies, his habit to lose things, and often forgetfulness to do simple things such as shower (only when he was particularly busy with something in his work), but something in him felt like it was right. Perhaps it was the residue from the drift, they always felt so connected still. He couldn’t very well imagine living with someone else, and living alone was quite boring most of the time.

Hermann had contemplated this all before, quite a bit actually, but the sudden reality of it had really sunk in.

“My current apartment here in the facility is quite small, as it only has one bedroom and one bath, however, do you suppose that would suit us fine for the time being?”

“Yeah, of course, I can curl up small, dude, you know that. I’m smaller than you, anyway.” Both scientists chuckled.

As they continued to walk, Newt chattered and smiled, but all he could notice was how Hermann seemed to glow; his pale skin in the sunlight and his deep brown eyes sparkling with laughter. He had rolled the sleeves of his blazer up, revealing the slender freckled forearms Newt adored. Nothing ever felt as perfect as it did when they were together like this. Hermann’s insecurity went down like a crumbling wall, a sharp sense of wit and humour left in it’s place. He spoke without restriction and his hand held tightly around Newton’s, fingers interlinked like they were meant to fit there. Every touch was warm and welcome, the drift having left them in a constant state of craving and caring. It wasn’t as though they didn’t get along before that, but everything seemed to slot into place after. Their minds still buzzed with a very faint connection even with the distance between them in Massachusetts and London, and now with the distance closed it felt more like a silent glow, their feelings forming with each other, a continuous state of both knowing and not speaking, and a need for touch and sound that hadn’t been fulfilled for quite some time.

"I’ve hardly enough food for two people tonight, I’m not quite sure what you’d like to do about that. "

"We could go grocery shopping, y’know, like a real couple. It’d be cute!"

“‘A real couple’? Would that make you my ‘boyfriend’ then, hm?”

"I’d like to think I already was." Newt bumped Hermann’s shoulder with his. "Didn’t know that was going to freak you out so much, sorry dude."

"Not so much ‘freak out’ at the idea of it, as unsure of if that was what to call it. You. I believe we are both older than and beyond the use of the term 'boyfriend', would you not agree?"

Newt rolled his eyes, though smiling at the idea of them being ‘beyond boyfriends’. “I dunno, Hermm, it’s still pretty cute, and I sure as hell like the idea of being your boyfriend. Besides, what else would you call it?”

Hermann thought for a moment; ‘boyfriends’ seemed too juvenile for men of their age, but not much else seemed to fit. And they weren't married so they couldn’t exactly be ‘husbands’. “I’m not entirely sure… You may refer to us as you like, Newton.”

Newt only grinned and kissed Hermann’s cheek, pleased with the idea of them being boyfriends. "So, about dinner…"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mein Sonnenschein = my sunshine  
> herzchen = darling


	2. Chapter 2

As they entered Hermann’s apartment, Newt gawked at the interior, admiring the understated class of the space, the stainless steel kitchen, the contemporary sofa, and the clean glass surface of the coffee table.

"Dude, I had no clue how sweet your place is! I couldn’t see this stuff over our Skype chats! Why would you wanna move from here?" Newt kicked his boots into a corner by the door, quickly picking them back up and lining them up along the wall after a stern glare from his partner.

Hermann laughed softly, slipping out of his own shoes and pacing towards the sofa. “I don’t mind where I live much, so long as it’s with you.”

Newt shoved his hands on his hips and pursed his lips. “I’m just that great, huh?” He crossed the room, his hands reaching out to grasp Hermann’s hips instead. “But I think I’d have to agree, same goes for you.” He placed a soft kiss on Hermann’s cheek, working his way down to the warm skin of his neck and nibbled at his jutting collar bone.

Hermann tutted under his breath, his fingers tangling in Newt’s hair as he leaned into the kisses.

"Y’know, it’s been too long… I think the rest of me knows that. Looks like you too." Newt hinted down at their pants, matching bulges pressing against the front seams. "Why don’t you show me the bedroom?"

Hermann smirked, a not too frequent expression seen on his face, and lead Newton to his bedroom. The walls were also white, the king size bed had dark grey sheets and a brushed steel four-post frame.

"This could definitely work." Newt’s grin widened as his brain filled with ideas for later. For now, all he wanted was Hermann’s skin, his warmth and his touch. The crazier stuff could wait until later.

“I had ordered it with the hopes of getting to share it with you.” Hermann sat on the edge of the bed, removing the blazer and exposing his slender, freckled arms.

Newton bit his lip, hastily throwing himself on the bed and pulling Hermann to lie down with him. He slipped his hands under Hermann’s t-shirt, feeling the smooth, slender structure of his ribs before lifting it up, kissing his stomach and scratching his stubble along his hips.

“Ich habe dich schrecklich, absolut schrecklich vermisst.” Hermann sighed, enjoying the tickles of hair and skin, his fingers tangled in Newt’s hair.

Newt made a small sound, his lips still stuck to Hermann’s ribs. 

Hermann huffed, sitting upright to grasp Newt’s shoulders and pulled him closer to steal a few kisses of his own. “You get so excited just by the sight of a bloody t-shirt…” He hissed between pecks, his tongue teasing at the edge of Newton’s lips.

“Duh, ‘cause you pretty much never wear any less than like five layers.” Newt wrapped his arms and legs around Hermann, straddling between his open legs. “But it’s like a present,” Newt kissed Hermann. “…I get to unwrap…” Another kiss. “…all the layers.”

They both laughed, wrapped in each other’s warmth and glow, grazing skin with kisses and stubble, slowly pulling off layers of clothes and reveling in every moment, savouring every touch.

* * *

Hermann sat on the black sofa, his fingers drumming along the arm. Newt paced around the flat, a phone pressed to his ear, ordering takeout for the two of them as neither of them felt much like cooking.

“Uh-huh, that’s it. Yeah, yup, that’s fine. See you in a half hour.” Newt hung up the phone, flopping into the sofa with Hermann. “You’ll like it, I promise.”

Hermann frowned slightly, untrusting of Newt’s choices in food. All the words he used on the phone were Japanese, and although he found Japanese cuisine quite tasteful, he always remained skeptical of Newton’s choices.

They watched television together for the next while as they waited, Hermann wanting to just settle on the news and Newton stealing the remote to try and find a movie channel or at least “something more interesting than this boring crap, the news hasn’t been much fun since the kaiju have been gone.”

After a short while, the buzz of the door startled them out of their TV daze and greeted them with a couple white plastic bags filled with smaller plastic boxes. 

Newt paid the delivery boy, giving him an extra generous tip because, hey, they could definitely afford it now, and turned back to Hermann with a grin. “Aw man, I’m so excited, I haven’t had good sushi in a long time!”

“Sushi? That’s what you ordered?” Hermann peaked inside a plastic bag, catching a glimpse of several pieces of maki and sashmi. “That’s not nearly as bad as I had anticipated…”

“I dunno why you think my taste in food sucks so bad, man. I just like pretty much everything.” Newton reached in one of the bags to pull out a white cardboard box, opening it and pulling out a piece of sweet potato tempura. “This is the shit, oh man.”

The two sat at the small dining table, eating in mostly silence as Newton, for once, was too busy stuffing his face to talk too much. Newt had taught Hermann how to use chopsticks properly over Skype, and would giggle occasionally as he looked up from eating to see Hermann struggling a bit to pick something up.

“You can use your hands y’know, mein schatz, I’m not gonna judge you for it.”

“No, I need to improve.”

Newt found his stubbornness all too adorable.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ich habe dich schrecklich, absolut schrecklich vermisst = I have missed you terribly, absolutely terribly  
> mein schatz = my sweetheart


	3. Chapter 3

Hermann and Newt spent Sunday just enjoying each other’s company. They went on another walk, watched a movie, and got into the same old argument about whether tea or coffee was the superior hot beverage, but mostly just relaxed. Hermann spent most of the day on the couch, his bad leg stretched out and propped up with cushions (walking that much really took a toll on him). 

On Monday, Hermann had to go back to working in the lab and Newt stayed at his apartment. While he was gone, Newton decided to go grocery shopping in town and stocked up Hermann’s bare (and boring, I mean, who can possibly live on this much bland food without going insane?) fridge with some more interesting food. He bought junky cereal, raspberries, a bag of rice, flour, eggs, bacon, ramen noodle cups, and a large box of Kaiju Blue cereal, just because it looked so damn cool.

Newt made sure to keep his mouth shut as best he could and not reveal his plans for Wednesday.

* * *

It was Tuesday, June 8th, and Hermann was finishing up work early in the research lab. He had been working closely with Dr. Maudy, as well as a several other interns, and found himself rather exasperated sooner than expected, as he was still not entirely used to having to work in such close proximity with other people. He had an office of his own, it had a frosted window on the door with his name etched into it and everything (“Very professional, you could be like the headmaster or something!” Newton had said), but it was still very necessary for him to work directly in the lab with his other coworkers. He had considered drawing a line down the middle of the room like he had back at the Shatterdome, but knew that probably would just raise more eyebrows than anything.

“Have a pleasant evening, Dr. Maudy.” Hermann said curtly after he hurriedly packed his papers away and headed for the door.

“Oh! Goodbye, Dr. Gottlieb. Will you be coming in to work tomorrow?”

“Pardon?” Hermann looked confused.

“Well, it’s just that it’s your birthday tomorrow, right? You don’t have to come in on your birthday, y’know.” Dr. Maudy smiled as friendly as possible. 

Hermann had actually almost completely forgotten his birthday was so soon. He was aware it was coming up as June had just begun, but it had somehow slipped his mind. “Well, I hadn’t exactly planned anything…”

“Oh, but your boyfriend is here! You two must have something planned? Or maybe he does!”

Hermann was visibly blushing and lost his temper quite suddenly. “Why on earth does everyone keep referring to him as that!” He yelled, crossing his arms firmly and his cane dangling over the floor.

Dr. Maudy looked startled. “I-is that not what he is to you? I-I’m sorry, it’s just that, er well, everyone else in the lab said that--“

Hermann grumbled at the thought of the other lab assistants and (supposedly) professional doctors gossiping his personal life. However, he felt a bit bad for making Dr. Maudy so visibly upset. “No, well… I just prefer to not use that term. You are not entirely incorrect in assuming… that.” 

She tried her best to smile, still a bit uneasy by Dr. Gottlieb’s outburst. “Well… you two should have fun, do something nice together.” She turned to hustle towards the door and left Hermann standing there. 

He noticed a few of the lab assistants staring at him, which of course made them look away rather quickly. He sort of felt bad for startling Dr. Maudy so badly, but also was thankful for his ability to intimidate people when needed.

* * *

On Wednesday, June 9th, Hermann rolled over to find Newton missing from his spot in the bed. The dark grey comforter was thrown back on his side, and there was a very obvious indent of where he was previously curled up against Hermann’s back, but Newt was no where to be found.

Probably already up and watching cartoons with a giant bowl full of some sugary cereal he’d bought (“It’s called Sugar Crisp and it’s the fuckin’ bomb, okay?”). Hermann rolled over and looked at the clock on the nightstand. 10:23 AM. This was quite possibly the longest he’d slept in a long time, and he was surprised he didn’t wake up whenever Newt had gotten out of bed. 

Suddenly Hermann heard humming. No, singing? It sounded like Newt was singing to himself. Then he smelled… something? Something good… something edible? He wondered if Newton had decided to make breakfast, and was nervous (with good reason) about him being in the kitchen on his own. He reached to grab his cane from leaning against the nightstand and stood up, the cane clicking against the hardwood floor.

“Hey, hey, hey!” came Newton’s voice as he skidded around the corner and into the bedroom. He was wearing only boxers (a childish kaiju-pattern print), a pink apron (honestly, where did he even find that?), and wool socks. “It’s your fucking birthday! You’re 38 years old and you’re gonna get breakfast in bed, alright?”

Hermann opened his mouth to argue, he was fully capable of getting up and getting his own breakfast, he did not need to be treated like a sick child. But something in Newton’s face made him reconsider; he genuinely wanted to do this for him, and Hermann couldn’t refuse. “Well, if you insist…”

“’Course I insist, it’s your birthday!” Newt grinned, saying the last bit with a sing-song voice. “You just lie back down, go to sleep again if you want, I’m nearly done though!” And with that, Newt slid on his socks out of the room and back into the kitchen.

Hermann put his cane back, sliding into the bed and pulling the covers back over himself. He couldn’t fall back asleep, but he did enjoy just lying there listening to the faint sounds of Newt humming away to himself and a fry pan popping. 

About 5 minutes later, Newt came back in holding a large tray and grinning from ear to ear. There was an assortment of eggs, bacon, a stack of oversized pancakes, and a large glass of orange juice.

“I uh,” He set the tray down on his side of the bed, wiggling to sit down with it. “I’m also making a pot of tea for you. It’s a special kind I bought, hope that’s okay.” Newt’s frilly pink apron was covered in small puffs of white flour, and he had some smudged up the side of his cheek, across his nose, and in his eyebrows. 

Hermann found himself smiling more than he had in a long time, almost more than when Newt had first arrived those few days ago. “Of course, darling. Absolutely perfect.” He sat upright and leaned forward, Newt leaned in to meet him halfway, and kissed his cheek. He wiped away some of the flour from his face with his thumb. “Thank you. Although… I’m not entirely sure I can eat all of this myself…”

“Not a problem, I was planning on helping you!” Newt reached into a small pocket on the front of his apron and dug out two sets of forks and knives. He handed one to Hermann, and pointed at the maple syrup and whipped cream toped pancakes with his knife. “These have raspberries in them, you like that right?”

At this point Hermann would have eaten just about anything Newt had served him, it was all just too sweet to refuse. “Everything is perfect.” He cut a small section out of the pancakes, dabbing it in the cream before trying a piece. “This is… delectable. Why am I surprised? Your baking is always superior.”

“Awww schätzchen…” Newton tugged his apron over his head and wiped away some flour residue on his bare, colourful chest. “My baking is clearly top-notch, I deserve an award. Oh, the tea should be ready!” He scooted out of the room again, returning just as quickly holding two mugs and a small packet between two fingers. 

Newt handed one mug to Hermann and retook his spot on the bed to read the packet in his hands. “It says... Sweet Raspberry Infusion tea. I thought it sounded yummy. Better than your Early Grey stuff, anyway.”

Hermann frowned (Early Grey was his favourite), and took a sip of the tea. It was definitely sweet, but Newt hadn’t added any sugar so it was tolerable. He set the mug down on the nightstand and started eating some of the eggs.

Newt made a happy little hum and dug into the pancakes as well, eating together in contented silence and enjoying the bright sunshine that was leaking through the blinds and onto the bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> schätzchen = sweetie


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DISGUSTINGLY cute birthday shit. Oh man.

When they had finally finished breakfast, Newt scurried back into the kitchen with the tray of dishes and left it in the sink to be washed later.

“I can wash the dishes while you shower, Newton.” Hermann offered, pulling himself out of the covers and back onto his feet.

“No way, I still have stuff planned,” Newt grinned knowingly. “And that includes you not doing dishes or any sort of chores today. Now, off you go into the bathroom, I’ll be there in a second.” He motioned ‘off-you-go’, flicking his hands towards the door that adjoined the bathroom to the bedroom.

Hermann wasn’t sure what to glean from that fairly dangerously mischievous smile Newt often wore when he had a sort of plan up his sleeve, but considering it was with the intention of a birthday ‘treat’ of some sort, it couldn’t be all that bad, whatever he had in mind. 

“Yes, alright… although I’m not entirely sure I trust your intentions, whatever they may be.” Hermann slowly walked to the door, his eyes focused on Newt’s unfading grin, slipped into the bathroom, and closed the door.

He looked over at the counter to see a fair-sized collection of bottles and wrapped-up shapes. He walked over to pick one of the small packages and unwrapped it, revealing a soap made to look like a slice of watermelon. The bottles read “Relaxing Bath Gel” and “Extra Foamy Bubbles”.

Newt entered the bathroom smiling brightly, his hair still full of flour. “Figured you might like those. We can use them tonight!” He started pulling off his socks and boxers, baring the entirety of his ink-clad skin, and placed his glasses on the counter. “How’s that sound?”

“That sounds… lovely.” Hermann placed the bottles back down and moved to remove his own sleepwear.

Newt quietly sighed as he took in the sight of Hermann’s naked body; the pale planes of skin, wrapping around his ribs and thin torso, freckles across his toned forearms and shoulders. He sighed again before stepping into the frosted glass shower stall and starting the water, jumped under the stream and opened his arms to welcome Hermann in with him.

Hermann left his cane against the counter and stepped in slowly, letting Newt wrap him in a warm hug under the hot water. 

“Mmm, I much prefer this sort of shower in the morning…” Newt nuzzled his head into Hermann, his stuck-up hair dampening and deflating. He kissed his chest, his collarbone, his neck, his hands wiping Hermann’s dark, wet hair away from his forehead. “I get to clean you first, okay?”

Hermann made a noncommittal sound, leaning away to let Newton rub soap into his chest. Newt’s fingers rubbed in small circles over his ribs and sternum while his mouth was busy placing little kisses on his shoulders.  


“This has been…” Hermann closed his eyes as Newt’s hands travelled past his hips. “A rather enjoyable birthday, as far as my birthday’s have been.”

Newt’s brows crinkled as he looked up at Hermann’s contented faced. “Dude, it’s not even noon. I still have plenty more plans for today!”

Hermann cracked one eye open. “More? What--” He stopped himself before he sounded like he was protesting. Newt often called him out on his unwillingness to accept kindness from others, often from a lack of trust, but he certainly didn’t lack any trust in Newton. “Well alright, thank you, Newt.”

Newt stood on his tip-toes to kiss Hermann’s lips, his tongue just barely teasing along the edges. “That’s what birthday’s are for; I get to spoil you rotten. Now, turn around, baby.”

Hermann frowned slightly before bracing himself with the aluminum rail on the wall as he turned his back to Newton, who proceeded to scrub more soap over his back and shoulders. His fingers worked in tiny circles, loosening the tight knots built up in his back. Hermann groaned, “You-- ahh-- are terribly talented with that…”

“Mhm, practice makes perfect.” Newt rinsed the soap off and kissed a shoulder blade. He poured a small amount of shampoo into Hermann’s dark brown hair, scented like green tea and cucumber, and worked it into a lather, his fingers massaging similarly into his scalp. “You’re beautiful, you know that? I love you so much…”

Hermann sighed agreeably. “I love you just the same, if not more.” He felt a hand wrap around his front, teasing fingers exploring just below his hips. 

“You’re hard…” Newton practically purred against Hermann’s back, the stream of water nearly drowning out his voice.

Hermann said nothing, only wrapping an arm backwards to grasp at the pudge of Newt’s stomach. He felt a similar hardness pressed against his thigh, slipping slightly with the foam of the soap.  


Newt’s hand carefully wrapped around Hermann’s hardness, pressing tender kisses into his back. He stroked him slowly, picking up pace as Hermann’s muscles tensed up, white knuckling the aluminum bar until he came in a gasp into his hand, the hot water running it down the drain.

“Mmm, that’s a much better way to start a day!” Newton grinned with that ever-so brilliant smile at Hermann after he turned around to face him again, his scruffy stubble wet and dripping and his hair slicked down (Hermann found this unusual sight slightly endearing, as Newt’s hair was never one for behaving).

Hermann reached to run a hand through Newton’s hair, cupping his cheek and leaning down ever so slightly to kiss him. “Mmm yes…” He muttered against his soft and relaxed lips. “I suppose that is.”

The water started to run colder, making both of them jump. 

“You go ahead and dry off, I’ll wash up real quick!” Newt grabbed the soap hastily, scrubbing at his armpits and face as Hermann hobbled out of the shower. 

* * *

After both scientists had gotten dressed and cleaned up (“Honestly Newton, you should use a razor. You know I much prefer it when your face is smoother”), Hermann headed out to the main living space to see a large box wrapped up and waiting for him on the kitchen table. Newton skidded out of the bedroom from behind him, one arm wrapping around his shoulder.  


“Surprise!” he pecked Hermann on the cheek. “Happy birthday!” 

Hermann stared at it, unsure of what to think. It’s not as though he had never received gifts for his birthday or other occasions, but the present was so… large. Much larger than any gift he’d been given in the past. The silver wrapping paper was… poorly done, with large amounts of scotch tape holding it together from every angle, but clearly well attempted, matched with an oversized red ribbon slapped on the top purely for decoration.

Hermann approached the table and gingerly touched the wrapping paper. “Newton… What on earth did you get me?” 

“Something nice! It’s your goddamn birthday, I can’t get you something nice?”

“Of course you can, it’s just…” Hermann glanced at the present again. “So large…”

“Well, there’s a few things in there. Just… go ahead and open it?”

Hermann sat down to open the present, tearing the wrapping paper carefully to not make a mess.  


“God, you’re one of those? Just rip it open!”

Hermann started at him, frowning, and continued ripping the paper while keeping eye contact. Newt shifted awkwardly on the spot.  


“It’s not even that big a deal, you don’t have to be so weird about it!”

Hermann continued to open the gift silently, pulling the lid off the box and revealing several things inside; a collapsible cane, two books, three bars of expensive-looking chocolate, all sitting on top of a neatly folded t-shirt.

Hermann looked up with an expression that said both “thank you” and “WHY DID YOU GET ME ALL THESE THINGS, THIS IS RIDICULOUS”.  


“Hey, you’re welcome, birthday boy!” Newt winked and sat down next to him.

Hermann pulled out the chocolate bars first and ran his thumb over the high quality matte paper packaging, admiring the gold-leafed script text that read “Premium Belgische Schokolade”. 

“How did you get premium Belgian chocolate…”

“Shh, don’t worry about it, it’s a gift, stupid. Just enjoy them, yeah?”

Hermann nodded before reaching for another item from the box; the collapsible cane. It came unfolded as he pulled it out, assembling itself with a loud clicking sound and turning itself straight. It was navy blue with white stripes around the end and had a red handle.

“I already have a cane, I don’t--”

Newt just shrugged. “It’s for emergencies or whatever, if you break it, ‘cause you have done that at least a couple times. Plus, this one folds up so you can shove it in a bag or something.”

Hermann just nodded again, baffled by Newton’s thoughtfulness. He placed the cane atop the table and reached to pull out one of the books; a comic with a garish cover depicting a dead kaiju, lying sprawled out across a partially demolished city, titled “Kaiju Blue: Issue 17”.

“That’s by a guy that lives in San Francisco, guess he’s one of our first ‘groupies’, huh? He’d made a bunch of comics about each of the kaiju, made a decent penny off of them too, but he emailed me and asked if he could draw us in the last issue!”

Hermann’s eyes widened as he flipped through the pages to try and find the two of them.

“Here, here…” Newt leaned over to turn to the correct page. In the last panel, there stood two cartoonized versions of Hermann and Newton; Newt with his arm around Hermann’s shoulders, and Hermann smiling from ear to ear. Newt seemed to be drawn about the same height as Hermann, which was endearing in and of itself, and his tattoos were drawn as bright and colourfully as Newt would have wanted them to be. There was a crowd around them, cheering with speech bubbles rising above their heads. 

“He uh, asked for a photo of us, for reference, and I didn’t tell him about our-- my height. Y’know…” Newt rubbed at the back of his neck. “Figured you’d like a copy, anyway. Hope you’re not upset with how he drew you, I think you look cute as hell there, anyway.”

Hermann was beaming. He’d never considered himself worthy of any sort of spotlight, not in the ‘groupie’ sense, anyway. To see himself and Newton immortalized in the pages of a comic book was beyond what he would have imagined would come from their work.

“I’m… It’s wonderful, truly.” Hermann stared at the page, running a finger over the panel, feeling the ridges of the ink against the pad of this thumb.

“Hey, we’re like real rockstars now, huh?” Newt rummaged through the box and removed the second book. “But check this one out too.” He waited for Hermann to place the comic down before handing it to him, his face straining to not look too eager.

Hermann stared at the second book, equally as shocked. “Physics & Biology: Studying the Anteverse by Dr. H. Gottlieb, Ph.D, Dr. N. Geiszler, Ph.D, ” was written across the crimson hardcover in thick gold print. There were no pictures or other decorations, only the title.

“Oxford wanted to uh, publish our final findings. Together. It’s not officially published, but I got the first sample copy. I wanted it to be a surprise.” 

Hermann recalled sending his work to Oxford University a few months ago, as per request of the publishing department. However, he hadn’t really heard anything from them after the fact, and had since forgotten. 

He was practically gawking at this point, finding himself at a complete loss for words. He opened the book and flipped through the pages. Small text, photos of his calculative models, anatomical diagrams of kaiju organs by Geiszler, annotations and discussions on their work, all compiled into this tidy little book.

“I didn’t realize they were planning on publishing this at all.”

“You kidding? They were totally creaming their pants over our work!” Newt was laughing as he rested his chin in his hands. “I got a call from them saying they already had your stuff and they wanted mine too, so I went ahead and gave it to them. Bugged them a few times after a month and finally got a preview copy mailed to me back at MIT; now it’s yours.”

Hermann practically fell out of his chair reaching to wrap Newton with arms, fumbling and finally pulling them both up to stand and hug. He buried his face into Newt’s shoulder, turning to kiss his neck lightly. “Thank you so much.”

“N-no problem!” Newt was blushing and rubbing at Hermann’s back awkwardly. “Have you like, never gotten a birthday present or something?”

Hermann pulled away. “Of course I have, don’t be preposterous.”

“Well then chill out, it’s fine! I just wanted to get you some cool stuff!” Newt reached back into the box and pulled out a pile of fabric. “Besides, you didn’t even get to the best part. These are actually being sold in stores now!” He uncrumpled and turned the fabric around to show off a white t-shirt that read “Geiszler Groupie” in bold black text across the front. “I had to sign a few autographs at the place I got it from, it was so great!”

Hermann shook his head and snatched the shirt from Newton’s hands. “This is utterly absurd and--and…” He sighed. “So very you.” He pulled off his own shirt and shoved the new one over his head, holding his arms out. “Happy?”

Newt was smiling so wide his face may have become 90% mouth and teeth. “Yeah! Oh my god, dude, that--“ He was laughing so hard he had to wipe tears away from behind his glasses. “You’re now an official groupie of mine, huh?”

“Always was, wasn’t I?”

Newt kissed Hermann so hard he nearly lost balance against the table.


	5. Chapter 5

Newt had planned several small activities for the day, one of which was persuading Hermann to take him to the lab he worked in. 

“What on earth could you possibly want to see there? It’s not really any different than the one we shared in Hong Kong.”

“Yeah, sure, I just wanted to come see some of your other coworkers. And besides, I’m sure they’d like to at least wish you a happy birthday, hm?”

As Hermann walked into the lab, he was nearly knocked over by the sudden unanimous cheering of “Surprise!” from all the staff in the lab. On a table in the center of the sterile white room sat a large chocolate cake, decorated with strawberries around the edges. Newton convinced Hermann to stay and enjoy some of the cake with all his ‘new friends’, then busied himself with cutting a slice for everyone and chatting up the entire staff. 

The afternoon was an enjoyable one, more so than Hermann was expecting it to be (“In my lab, honestly Newt, as if I don’t spend enough time there already…”), and before they knew it, several hours had passed already.

Hermann and Newton left arm in arm, heading first back to the apartment to change into nicer clothes, then to whatever was planned next. 

* * *

Newt’s plans turned out to be dinner at a surprisingly rather nice Italian restaurant he had made reservations at. They were seated near the window at a dark oak wood table in a large and chatter-filled room flooded with warm candle light and a faint smell of garlic. 

Hermann gazed across the table at Newt, who had actually put on his best (more like only) suit jacket just for the occasion. He wore a (somewhat crooked) teal bowtie, and had attempted to tame his hair with the sides pulled back a bit neater, though the top still fought to stick upright. 

Hermann had chosen to put on a brown tweed jacket (which Newt had teased him about, but ultimately gave up on, telling Hermann it made him look “like some sort of sexy professor”) and navy blue slacks, paired with a plain white shirt and navy blue tie.

“So, this place is pretty nice, huh?” Newt peeked over the top of his menu. “A bit nicer than I was expecting from their site, anyway.”

Hermann glanced down at his own menu, then back up at Newt’s eyes. “This is certainly more lavish than what I would expect from your usual tastes in dining.”

“Geez, can’t a guy take his _boyfriend_ out to a nice restaurant? I figured you’d like this more than the burrito place down the road.” Newt laughed as he folded his menu back up. “I’m gonna get the shrimp angel hair pasta.”

Hermann rolled his eyes, smirking. “I’ll try the chicken risotto.”

The waiter arrived at their table and they both ordered, Newt excitedly asking for a bottle of their best wine.

“A wine like that would be far too expensive in a place like this!”

“So what? It doesn’t matter, you’re worth it.”

The food and wine arrived, and the two tucked into their meals and drank a little more than normal, chuckling over old memories and swapping new stories they had almost forgotten about. They seemed to not notice anyone or anything else around them, wrapped up in the glow of candlelight and each other’s own faces. Newt tried to order a third bottle of wine, but was stopped by a giggling and bubbly Hermann, hiccupping through his attempt to tell him that they’ve both had enough. Newton paid the bill and they left, Hermann wobbly and leaning on Newt as a secondary crutch. 

They both giggled even more on the cab ride home, Hermann almost forgetting to tell the driver where he lived, and nearly forgetting his cane on the seat as he stumbled out of the door into Newt’s arms. They had both slackened their ties and let them hang loose around their necks, swinging with their sloppy, tipsy movements.

Once they finally made it through the door, Hermann looked down at Newt’s shirt and noticed a large red stain on the front. 

“You’ve got… wine on your clothes.” He prodded Newt’s stomach with a haphazard finger. 

Newt glanced down “Yeah, heh, you too, buddy.” He nodded towards Hermann’s own shirt.

Hermann grumbled absently, trying to kick his shoes into the corner and nearly losing grip on his cane.

“H-hey, hey, let me do that, I don’t want you falling over and breaking your hip or some shit.” Newt dropped to his knees and undid the laces of Hermann’s polished oxfords, pulling them off and leaving them on the matt by the door along with his own scuffed up boots.

The pair wobbled their way into the bedroom, Hermann flopping backwards into the bed and rubbing pathetically at his thigh.

“Don’t worry, just stay there for like, 2 secs…” Newt skidded into the bathroom, shutting the door behind him.

When he returned, Hermann had rolled onto his stomach and was lying face-down with his legs hanging off the edge of the bed; his jacket pulled off of one arm and left on the other. Newt helped him up, removing the rest of his jacket and kissing his cheeks.

“C’mon… you’re not _that_ drunk, liebling…”

Hermann groaned. “I’m just… tired. My leg is sore.”

“Don’t worry, I got the perfect thing for that, c’mere…”

Newt walked with Hermann tucked under his arm into the next room, sitting him on the toilet seat and crouching to remove his trousers.

Hermann looked hazily over the bathroom; the room was dimly lit with only candles glowing along the edge of the counter and window frame, the bath filling with hot water and frothing with bubbles. It smelled like lavender and vanilla, and before he knew it, Newt was helping him stand up and easing him towards the tub.

“Here, it’ll… it’ll feel nice on your hip and stuff, right?” Newt lowered Hermann into the water, giggling at how small he looked in the giant tub of bubbles. 

He turned to undress himself, unbuttoning his stained shirt and throwing it in a heap along with his pants and jacket. He stepped over the edge of the tub, lowering himself into the bubbles across from Hermann and sighing with the warmth of the water.

He looked over at Hermann, sitting comfortably amongst the bubbles, his eyes shut and his mouth holding a big dopey smile.

“This okay?” Newt nudged him with his toe under the water.

Hermann gave a happy little hum, his hand finding Newt’s under the bubbles and linking his piano fingers between his. “This is absolutely divine.”

“Divine? Geez, if I’d known baths were enough to get that kinda reaction out of you, I’d have done them a lot more!” Newt squeezed his hand.

They sat for a while, eyes closed and content in the warm water, glow of the candles, and silence only broken by soft breathing. Eventually, Hermann slid over to sit beside Newt, his thigh just barely grazing the hair of Newt’s leg. He leaned his head against the other man’s shoulder, kissing his cheeks and neck, his nose scratching against the light stubble. 

“Ich liebe dich sehr…”

Newt smiled, kissing Hermann’s head in return. “Hmm… Ich liebe dich mehr als kaiju!”

“Iiiich liebe dich… mehr als… Huygens.” Hermann dragged out slowly, his hand travelling to Newt’s thigh, lingering slowly to his hips and teasing at his half-hard cock.

Newt bit his lip, pushing his head into Hermann’s and reaching to do the same. 

Hermann moaned softly, biting at Newt’s collarbone and rubbing at him harder under the water, his thumb teasing and brushing gently against the tip. 

Newt finally managed to nudge Hermann’s head up enough to kiss him, his tongue slipping past his thin lips and teasing at his teeth. Hermann whimpered slightly into his mouth, his hips jutting up into Newt’s hand as he stroked him.

“P-please…” He groaned into Newt’s cheek. “I want…” His hand tightened around Newt’s hard cock. 

Newt knew enough to know what that meant, and shifted himself to face Hermann and lower onto his lap, still kissing him intently.

Hermann rubbed himself against Newt’s cheeks, his hands sliding to find a comfortable place along his lower back.

Newt gasped quietly as he pressed in, trembling and lowering himself down onto Hermann’s lap.

Hermann’s fingers dug into Newt’s sides, feeling the soft pudge and squeezing. “Th’alright, darling?” He slurred against Newt’s chest, his breathing slightly faster than it was a moment ago.

Newt nodded. “Mm… yeah… that’s… ah!” He pulled himself up quickly, pressing back into Hermann just as fast, enjoying the obscene O-shape his face pulled into. “Uhg, god… Hermann…” Newt worked himself up and down, fuelling himself with each little groan and gasp from Hermann’s mouth.

He peppered light kisses along Hermann’s neck and jaw, paired with little huffs of hot breath against his skin as he felt himself getting closer and closer to tipping over the edge.

Hermann kissed Newt feverishly, his fingers digging into his skin as he moaned and then shouted against Newt’s lips; coming in shakes and quivers against his skin.

“Herm… I… ah-- fuck!” Newt yelled as he followed, twitching and sliding himself off of Hermann’s cock, refinding his spot in the tub next to him.

Hermann let his head fall back, his face reading of bliss and sleep, and his hand finding Newt’s to hold under the water again. “Nur... Ich liebe dich.”

Newt kissed his cheek softly, shakily stepping out of the tub to drain it, and reached for the soft white towels. He wrapped Hermann up, patting at his hair and kissing him as he dried him off, enjoying the lavender scent lingering in his skin. 

Newt blew the candles out before they both practically fell into bed, sleeping sounder than either of them had in a tremendously long time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> liebling = sweetheart  
> Ich liebe dich sehr = I love you much  
> Ich liebe dich mehr als kaiju = I love you more than kaiju  
> Iiiich liebe dich… mehr als… Huygens = I love you... more than... Huygens (Christian Huygens, famous Dutch mathematician)  
> Nur... Ich liebe dich = Just... I love you
> 
> LOTS OF "I LOVE YOU", OKAY?


End file.
